


Only Human

by Rose_of_Pollux



Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 15:03:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14107941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_of_Pollux/pseuds/Rose_of_Pollux
Summary: Napoleon is disheartened by the results of his latest physical fitness test–but Illya points out one key factor in the results.





	Only Human

After years of association with his partner, Illya always knew when Napoleon was in a gloomy mood-not that it was too difficult to tell, as Napoleon rarely hid what he was feeling. But there were different sources and levels of gloom, and Illya could tell exactly which was what based on just one glance at his partner.

That morning, Illya's first observation after his shower was noticing that a full, warm breakfast was on the table, and yet, Napoleon was now sitting in a chair by the window, glumly resting his chin on his hand as his brown eyes gazed out, blankly, at nothing in particular. In Napoleon's other hand was an opened letter; the rest of the mail was on the table, so, clearly, Napoleon had been fine until something in the mail, which must have arrived after he had finished making breakfast, had upset him.

Illya cast one more glance at the tempting breakfast before pulling up another chair beside Napoleon's.

"What is the bad news?" he asked, gently.

Napoleon sighed deeply, glancing at Illya for a moment before looking back out the window.

"I'm getting old."

Illya exhaled.

"I would ask if this was about you finally noticing your greying temples…" He paused as Napoleon gently touched them out of reflex-something that Illya had noticed occurring over the last few weeks. "But clearly you've been aware of them for some time. So, I presume that mail you received wasn't someone else pointing out that you had them?"

"No," Napoleon sighed, handing Illya the letter he had received. "The results from my latest physical fitness test came back…"

Illya glanced at the results-and could see why Napoleon was concerned. The results had taken a sharp drop from the last time's, as indicated in one of the columns. And Napoleon's blood pressure, resting pulse rate, and cortisol levels had all increased significantly.

Illya exhaled and was about to comment that, yes, this was a cause for concern… at least until he noticed the date of Napoleon's fitness test.

"Napoleon?" he asked. "You had your fitness test less than a week after we'd returned from Berlin and the Summit Five meeting?"

"Mm-hmm," Napoleon responded, glumly.

Illya looked up from the test results to stare at Napoleon in utter disbelief.

"Why?"

"I was already overdue for my fitness test even before the Summit Five meeting," Napoleon sighed. "I convinced Medical that our need to be in Berlin was absolutely urgent, and so they made it quite clear that I had to have the test within a week of our return from Berlin. So, that's what I did."

"…You… this…" Illya was struggling to put words together as he pointed from the paper to Napoleon. "Why…? _Blockhead_!"

Napoleon glanced at him in some confusion.

"You are fretting over results of a fitness test that was taken less than a week after you were systematically _tortured_!?" Illya finally managed to ask. "What, may I ask, was the logical result, if not this?"

"There was a time when I could have taken the test the _day_ after, and there wouldn't have been any way to tell," Napoleon pointed out. "I guess I agreed to take the test so soon because I wanted to see if I could… still do that. But I can't."

"Well if that was what you were expecting, Napoleon, then yes, you are getting older. Neither of us can stop getting older. If the Baron of THRUSH rose from the grave and tortured me on those saltires of his like he did seven years ago, I would not bounce back again as quickly as I did then…" He trailed off again as he saw Napoleon's shoulders go rigid at the mention. "I see… This thought has already occurred to you."

"Maybe we're not unfit-not yet," Napoleon said. "But you just admitted it-we're not as fast in bouncing back like we used to be. We're not…"

"Not invincible?" Illya finished. He gently drew an arm around Napoleon. "I have news for you, Napoleon. We never were. Deep down, we both have always known that; even if we never gave much thought to our own mortality, we certainly did think about each other's-a lot. You have given me plenty of scares over the years, and I am sure I have done the same for you, as well."

Napoleon responded by drawing Illya into a tight hug, which Illya returned.

"I was worried for you as recently as Berlin," Illya said. "How I had to see you suffer and couldn't do a thing to stop it…. Napoleon, I don't think you realize how close I came to killing Strothers. Part of me still wants to."

"You got to kill Beldon."

"And I noticed you didn't ask me to show him mercy as you normally would…"

"Well, he tried to kill you, too."

Illya glanced at Napoleon with a "See?" look and Napoleon managed a smile.

"And that is how we have made it this far, Napoleon," he said. "We cover each other's weaknesses. That is how we will continue to face the next five years."

"You know, what, _Tovarisch_? I do believe you're right. So, how about that breakfast?"

And Illya smiled now. He still insisted that he was never great at pep talks-but he was certainly glad to have been of help now. It's why the partnership had worked so well-and would continue to do so.


End file.
